Biography &Qualifications

Gill Whitney is an acknowledged expert in the field of Digital Systems with particular knowledge of the standardisation, legislation, training and technical factors needed to support the creation of useable, useful and fun technology. She is Head of the Design for All Research Group which carries out multidisciplinary research work in the area of digital and social inclusion.

Qualifications

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) Since October 2018

Chartered Engineer (CEng) (since February 2000)

Member of Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET) (since June 1983)

Whitney, G. and Hara, S. and Whitney, L. (2018) Study on risks and opportunities of digitalisation for financial inclusion. The perspective of vulnerable users in Estonia, Italy and UK with a focus on groups covered by the European Accessibility Act. Project Report. European Union.

IET/ Prospect Report and Guidance for Employers of Women in STEM December 2015 and Support the Step back into STEM careers Returners to STEM - best practice guidance for employers Solution partnering by the IET and Prospect Feb 2017 I was a co-author of both of these publications.

Human-Computer Interaction and Public Policymaking Internationally, A Foundation for Understanding, SIGCHI Report, Edited by Jonathan Lazar (2015) Available from http://www.sigchi.org/about/sigchi-public-policy-report/view

2014

Whitney, G., and Keith, S., and Selvaraj, N.,and Maguire, M. and Nicolle, C. (2014) Employable knowledge: benchmarking education about standardization in the UK. British Standards Institute, London, UK. Available from Middlesex University’s Research Repository at http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/13717/

Heath A, Whitney G, Kolar I and Springett M (2013), The Case for Integrating Needs and Preferences in the Internet of Things, The Sixth International Conference on Advances in Human oriented and Personalized

Whitney G., (2013) The Use and Usability of Accessibility Standardization, 12th European AAATE Conference (Association of Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe) 2013 Conference, September 19 to 22, Vilamoura, Portugal

Whitney G., (2013) Working Internationally to Meet the Academic Needs of Accessibility Professionals, 12th European AAATE Conference (Association of Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe) 2013 Conference, September 19 to 22, Vilamoura, Portugal

Keith, S., & Whitney, G. (1998). Bridging the gap between young designers and older users in an inclusive society. Proc. The good, the bad and the challenging: the user and the future of ICT. (Cited by 3)

Whitney G., Applying Best Practice in Accessibility and Design in the Real World. COST 298 THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE CHALLENGING, The user and the future of information and communication technologies, Copenhagen, Denmark, May 2009

Keith S., Whitney G., Petz A (2009) Design for All as Focus in European ICT Teaching and Training Activities. INCLUDE, RCA London 2009

2008

Goodman-Deane, J., Keith, S., & Whitney, G. (2008, September). HCI and the older population. In Proceedings of the 22nd British HCI Group Annual Conference on People and Computers: Culture, Creativity, Interaction-Volume 2 (pp. 193-194). British Computer Society. (cited by 10)

Whitney, G., & Keith, S. (2008). European Developments in the Design and Implementation of Training for eInclusion. In Computers Helping People with Special Needs (pp. 156-161). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. (cited by 5)

Stokes E, Whitney G, The Utilisation of Best Practise in Design Theory to Aid Accessibility, RAatE (Recent Advances in Assistive Technology and Engineering), Coventry, December 2008

Whitney G., Applying Best Practise in Accessibility and Design in the Real World, Accessible Design in the Digital World '08, York, September 2008

Whitney G., Keith S. European developments in the design and implementation of training for eInclusion, 11th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs, July 2008

2007

Keith, S., Bradley, M., Wilson, J., & Whitney, G. (2007, June). The development of a participatory research methodology with older drivers. In Proceedings of the TRANSED Conference. (cited by 1)

Adams R, and Whitney G, (2005) The Use of Computers in Rehabilitation,HCI International 2005, Las Vegas

Whitney G, and Keith S., Kolar I., (2005) Electronic Travel Booking, the Evaluation of Usability, Accessibility and Fitness for Purpose by Older People and People with Disabilities. HCI International 2005, Las Vegas (cited by 1)

2003

Adams R. Whitney G and Langdon P, (2003) Universal Access Heuristics for Blind and Visually Impaired People Who Use ICT, 10th International Conference on Human - Computer Interaction, Crete, June 2003, published in Published in UNIVERSAL ACCESS IN HCI: Inclusive Design in the Information Society, Volume 4, Editor Constantine Stephanidis, ISBN: 0-8058-4933-5 (cited by 2)

Whitney G., (2003)The Use of Design for All to Support Elderly Blind and Partially Sighted Users to Retain Their Independence, 10th International Conference on Human - Computer Interaction, Crete, June 2003, published in Published in UNIVERSAL ACCESS IN HCI: Inclusive Design in the Information Society, Volume 4, Editor Constantine Stephanidis, ISBN: 0-8058-4933-5

Whitney G, Keith K and Wilson J, Developing independence: The Potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to Assist Elderly and Disabled People, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE IRRELEVANT, The user and the future of information and communication technologies COST Action 269 Conference, Helsinki, September 2003.

Adams R, and Whitney G, Accessibility For All And Tacit Knowledge Requirements Of Systems At Work, CEN/ CENELEC/ ETSI Conference 2003, Accessibility for All, Nice, March 2003 (cited by 2)

Languages Spoken

Learning &Teaching Interests

Gill's teaching takes place in three areas as follows;

Accessibility and Usability – She leads and supports research students who are working on developing the right solutions to tackle the last third of the population who are missing out on direct benefits e.g. computers and the Internet, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and digital TV, and indirect benefits e.g. where greater use of digital technology to plan, design and deliver services leads to significant improvements in service planning, design and delivery, particularly to address the needs of disadvantaged groups and individuals.

Innovation and Technology Management (including the use of standards and the role of standardisation) – She is Module Leader for the Module BIS3350. The module aims to develop the students understanding of how and why technical innovation takes place.

Compliance, Regulation and Standardisation - Gill has extensive experience of teaching, creating and using network and computer standards and regulations in the areas of accessibility and security.

Research Outputs &Interests

The Design for All Research Group carries out multidisciplinary research work in the area of digital and social inclusion. It utilises current and new high quality research theories and methodologies to enable all people, including older people and people with disabilities to be eIncluded and participate in the electronic knowledge revolution. The work combines and verifies relevant theory from a range of disciplines and is used to influence policy makers, professionals, academics and researchers

Gill has personal interest in Accessibility, Usability, Design for All, Standardisation and Innovation.

The Design for All Research Group at Middlesex University has recently undertaken research into the operation of the `Fix the Web' project (http://www.fixtheweb.net/). The `Fix the Web' project involves the use of online volunteers to assist in the reporting and fixing of inaccessible web sites.

Whitney, Gill and Hara, Sukhvinder and Whitney, Linda (2018) Study on risks and opportunities of digitalisation for financial inclusion. The perspective of vulnerable users in Estonia, Italy and UK with a focus on groups covered by the European Accessibility Act. Project Report. European Union.

Engagement &Impact

Gill Whitney's knowledge and expertise acquired from her research can be shown by the following selection of her recent activities:

She has provided advice to the UK Governments Department for Culture Media and Sport, Eaccessibility forum.

She was described as an expert and had her expertise listed on the ANEC (the European consumer voice in standardisation) website.

She was invited to a meeting at the Department of Work and Pensions to meet Professor Hajime Yamada of Toyo University to discuss the use of accessibility standards in Japan, the UK and internationally.

She has worked as an evaluator for the European Unions research funding call, ICT-2007.7.2: Accessible and Inclusive ICT (due to teaching commitments she was not able to act as an evaluator in recent years).

She has acted as a consultant for the Middlesex University via the University's Design and Innovation Centre.

Gill represents the skills and expertise of the University externally by her standardisation activities. She is currently chair of the British Standards Institute (BSI) Committee CH/173 Assistive products for persons with disability, a member of ISO Technical Advisory Group for the revision of ISO/IEC Guide 71.a member of JTC 1 SWG on Accessibility and a member of the ANEC Design for All and ICT working groups.

Her main current standardisation activity is as a member of ISO Technical Advisory Group for the revision of ISO/IEC Guide 71. This guide is designed to enable standards to be written that do not discriminate against older or disabled people. Her role is to assist in the writing of a guide (or electronic tool) which can provide information to standardisers in the ICT field so that the standards can be used to aid designers to be innovative without setting up barriers to use.